Benue probes suspected Mpox outbreak as Korinya residents cry for urgent medical intervention

By Johnson Arua

The Benue state government has commenced an investigation into a suspected outbreak of Mpox in Korinya, Konshisha Local Government Area, following an urgent appeal by residents who alleged that several people in their community had developed symptoms consistent with the viral disease.

The alarm, contained in a public statement issued on Saturday by residents of Tyokula Achihi Residence, Km 2 Vandeikya Road, Korinya, claimed that a number of young men and women had been struck by an illness characterised by severe skin rashes, fever and blister-like lesions, raising fears of a possible outbreak if immediate action was not taken.

The statement, signed by Shadrach Mtsor on behalf of the community, said many of the affected persons lived and worked within the same premises, making the situation particularly worrisome.

According to the residents, the victims had remained in isolation without access to proper medical care, diagnosis or treatment, warning that the disease could spread beyond the immediate neighbourhood if urgent intervention was delayed.

"We are making a desperate public appeal for immediate medical intervention over a suspected outbreak of M-Pox in our community. Many of the affected persons are staff and residents within the same compound and have no access to proper diagnosis, isolation or treatment. We fear this could spread to the wider Korinya community and beyond if not contained now," the statement read.

The community appealed to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health, the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Nigerian Red Cross and the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) to urgently dispatch a medical team to the area.

The residents also requested laboratory testing of the suspected cases, provision of personal protective equipment, isolation materials and hygiene kits, free treatment for affected persons, public health sensitisation and, where necessary, temporary closure and decontamination of the affected workplace.

"Our community is poor and cannot handle this alone. The victims are isolated in their rooms without medical care. We are scared. We appeal to all well-meaning bodies, NGOs and government agencies to come to our aid before this becomes a bigger epidemic," the statement added.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, disclosed that the ministry had immediately activated its public health surveillance mechanism after receiving reports of the suspected cases.

In a statement titled "Re: Suspected Cases of Mpox Reported in Korinya, Konshisha Local Government Area," the commissioner said the Director of Public Health was instructed to liaise with the State Epidemiologist, who promptly deployed the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) for Konshisha LGA to investigate the situation.

He explained that the health team had been mandated to conduct field investigations, assess the reported cases and collect clinical samples for laboratory analysis.

Dr. Ogwuche, however, cautioned against concluding that the illness was Mpox, insisting that no outbreak had been confirmed in the state

"At this stage, no Mpox outbreak has been confirmed in Benue State. It is important to emphasise that skin rashes and fever can result from several medical conditions, and laboratory confirmation is required before any diagnosis of Mpox can be made," he said.

The commissioner noted that the state government remained vigilant, stressing that disease surveillance was active across all 23 local government areas in collaboration with the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the WHO and other development partners to ensure rapid detection and response to any public health emergency.

While appealing to residents to remain calm and avoid circulating unverified reports capable of causing panic, Dr. Ogwuche advised anyone experiencing fever accompanied by unexplained rashes or blisters to immediately seek medical attention at the nearest health facility and minimise close physical contact until properly assessed by healthcare professionals.

He further commended the Korinya community for promptly reporting the suspected cases, describing early reporting as a critical component of effective disease surveillance.

The commissioner assured that the outcome of the investigation would be made public once laboratory results were available, adding that if Mpox or any other disease of public health importance was confirmed, the government would immediately activate appropriate containment and response measures in line with national health guidelines.